TWO new Liebherr Generation 8 PR 726 crawler dozers, equipped with the new remote control system LiReCon, are providing support for munitions clearance and disaster recovery for the Austrian armed forces.
The innovation is said to enable flexible remote control operation, opening up access to areas that are otherwise difficult to reach or hazardous to work in.
Equipped with cameras with real-time video transmission, the system displays the work area with different views from varying angles. Microphones track the machine noises, and radio receivers and transmitters ensure a ‘seamless’ connection to the remote driver.
Liebherr explained the main monitor uses a high-resolution video signal to provide a view of the entire operational environment of the dozer. The active person detection system, fitted as an option, identifies persons or obstacles in the work area.
“LiReCon offers an advanced solution for all crawler dozer operations,” said Hansjörg Nocker, sales manager at the Liebherr Telfs plant. “It ensures complete integration of the machine and visualisation of all relevant machine data. This includes the Liebherr teleoperation stand, which is a state-of-the-art operator station equipped with all the necessary controls and system information.”
Based on their positive experience with the Liebherr PR 726 crawler dozers supplied in 2018, the Austrian Armed Forces collaborated with Liebherr Product Development to come up with a new design tailored to its needs.
“The military training ground in Allentsteig is a zone with multiple unexploded munitions, and these have to be removed after military exercises,” explained Lieutenant Colonel Dirk Wurth from the office for armaments and defence technology, engineer technology department. “Up to now, clearing equipment with splinter protection and bulletproof glass has been used. Nevertheless, there was always a risk that the driver could be injured.”
For this reason, the machine design was developed for teleoperation along with a container equipped for remote radio control of the machine.
“Using this new design, we can effectively deploy equipment both for dangerous operations on the military training ground and difficult environments in disaster recovery,” added Lieutenant Colonel Wurth. “This also includes driverless support operations over the most difficult terrain, such as landslides or for road clearance with the army corps of engineers.”
LiReCon enables remote control of machines without visual contact, while relay stations are available as an option for extended operational range. The system can also be operated via an internet connection.
“LiReCon is notable for its modular design,” Hansjörg Nocker stated. “With the latest upgrade, the control station is even more compact and transportable, enabling seamless integration into a range of plant infrastructures.”
The intuitive user interface allows the system to be integrated into different Liebherr machines. For safety, an emergency stop control to stop the machine dead in dangerous situations is included. Data security is ensured by encrypted data transmission and monitored data packets.
The new PR 726 G8 dozers benefit from Liebherr’s standard Operator Assistance Systems and increased blade capacities. The models are suitable for grading with ‘millimetre-precision’ and operations demanding pushing performance, such as road clearance.
The electronically controlled operating hydraulics can be tailored to the conditions and driver needs. Liebherr Indicate provides operators with information about the absolute longitudinal grade and cross slope of the machine, together with all parameters for the Liebherr Assistance Systems.
The parameters for the desired terrain can be entered into the touch display as target specifications, which then flow in real time into the active blade control.
“We are very pleased with the collaboration with Liebherr,” said Dirk Wurth. “Despite the major challenges for the armed forces and for Liebherr, the project plan proceeded exactly on track.
“The regular discussions and exchange of ideas contributed significantly to the continuous improvement process: a win-win situation for all involved and a mark of the strong mutual trust that was established.”
